Government Support for Charities.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced that charities across the UK will receive a £750 million package of support to ensure that they can continue their vital work for our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement by the Chancellor will be much welcomed by the charity sector and follows on from previous announcements of support that includes no business rates for their shops for the next year, Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and deferral of VAT bills.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said “Our charities are playing a crucial role in the national fight against coronavirus, supporting those who are most in need”

“It’s right we do everything we can to help the sector during this difficult time, which is why we have announced this unprecedented £750 million package of extra funding.”

As such, it was announced that £360 million of the package of support will be allocated by government departments to charities providing key services and for those who are supporting vulnerable people during the crisis.

In addition, £370 million of support will be allocated for small and medium sized charities including a grant to the National Lottery Community Fund to support organisations in England who are at the heart of local communities, in which during these unprecedented times despite being stretched beyond capacity, they have not only continued to be the safety net for our residents and most vulnerable but they have continued to make a huge difference to the lives of our residents.

Furthermore, the Chancellor has also announced that during the broadcast of BBC’s ‘Big Night In’ charity appeal, which is set to be broadcast on 23rd April, the Government will match the donations made by the public.

Paula Basnett, CEO of Wirral Chamber of Commerce said ‘“We are extremely pleased that UK Government have listened to our sectors calls for more support and funding to our frontline charities and whilst this should have been announced sooner, we welcome it with open arms.

The £750m fund for frontline charities will directly support our sector’s efforts in delivering a safety net for our most vulnerable.”